Source: Suspended safety Gipson joining Jaguars

Veteran free agent safety Tashaun Gipson Sr. is returning to the Jacksonville Jaguars on a one-year deal, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Sunday.

Gipson previously played in Jacksonville from 2016 to 2018. He has been suspended for the first six games of the 2024 season for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing substances policy. Gipson will complete the preseason with the Jaguars, then rejoin the team following his suspension.

The 34-year-old acknowledged responsibility last month, saying he took a supplement without realizing it was in violation of the rules but that he accepted the suspension.

“It was in no way related to performance, training, or gaining an advantage of any kind at any time,” Gipson said in a statement at the time. “I have competed at this level for a long time, and have nothing but respect for the game and the fraternity of players in it.”

Gipson spent the past two seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. Signed for extra depth just before the 2022 season, Gipson reenergized his career with the 49ers, quickly becoming the starter at free safety before being brought back on a one-year, $2.9 million deal.

He became a trusted locker room leader for the 49ers’ younger defensive backs and a stalwart on the back end of the defense.

In 2023, Gipson started 16 games, posting 60 tackles with a sack and an interception after tallying 61 tackles and five interceptions in 2022. He also had five of his 14 postseason tackles in the Super Bowl LVIII loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Jaguars are settled at the top of the depth chart at safety with Andre Cisco and Antonio Johnson, and the team signed Darnell Savage in March, though he’s spending a lot of time at nickel back. Veteran Andrew Wingard, who also is a key special teams player, is out with a knee injury and head coach Doug Pederson has not given a timetable for Wingard’s return.

Daniel Thomas, another key special teams player, has started four games in his four-year career with the Jaguars but has mainly been a reserve. He played 27 snaps in the Jaguars’ victory over Kansas City on Saturday night. The Jaguars also have veteran safeties Terrell Edmunds and Adrian Amos on the roster. Edmunds played 27 snaps and Amos 17 against the Chiefs.

Originally an undrafted free agent in 2012 out of Wyoming, Gipson has also spent four seasons with the Cleveland Browns, one with the Houston Texans and two with the Chicago Bears. He has 684 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 33 interceptions and 3 defensive touchdowns in 173 career regular-season games.

ESPN’s Nick Wagoner and Michael DiRocco contributed to this report.

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